Christian Rizzo! He of the argument-inspiring, French performance-art weirdness. He of the high-top sneakers. He of the creepy-ass bunny masks.
He opens in Seattle, at On the Boards (where he made his U.S. debut four years ago—suck it, every other city in America) tonight.
You can read an interview with him—and he's very charming on the phone, despite being an argument-inspiring, creepy-mask wearing fellow—here. I only wish I'd recorded it so you could hear the enthusiasm and playfulness in his voice.
You're a very polarizing man here in Seattle. Some people love your work, and some people absolutely hate it.Well, my proposition is that I'm saying something. And when you say something, first you ask yourself, "Are you sure you want to share that?" Of course, you will have some enemies. I'm creating something very intimate and very formal and specific. Do people want to take that trip? You never know who in the audience is coming, the behavior and life of each people, and the time when they receive a proposition. Sometimes, even for me, I look at a thing and say: "Pah, it's not the right moment for me."
American audiences may look at your bunny-man and think of Donnie Darko...
Yes, Donnie Darko—Gummo also. Or Alice in Wonderland. It's funny because I have a lot of things around me connected to the rabbit. I was also thinking about a dead rabbit—like Joseph Beuys, when he was trying to teach to a dead rabbit the history of art. I thought: "Maybe this is the ghost of the dead rabbit coming back!"
What kind of shoes do you wear?
Sneakers. I like the high sneakers—more for basketball.
Do you play basketball?
Absolutely not! But I like the end of the '80s/beginning of the '90s style, not so much the modern.
Because of the design or because of the way it feels on your feet?
Because of the lines. I am formal! I am a formalist!
